Do the pace car spoilers do anything ?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 5
From: Nashville TN
Do the pace car spoilers do anything ?
Was just curious if the pace car spoilers make any difference on the later 70's sharks. I know the front ends on these cars tend to lift at higher speeds, do they make any difference ?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
From: Wichita, KS
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (dman535)
I don't have it here in front of me but I seem to recall that the Corvette Black Book listed a number along the lines of 14 percent drag reduction.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,194
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From: Tempe AZ
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (1979toy)
I don't have it here in front of me but I seem to recall that the Corvette Black Book listed a number along the lines of 14 percent drag reduction.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 5,714
Likes: 6
From: Silver City NM
St. Jude Donor '05-'07
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (dman535)
The front spoilers DO work, but mainly at high speeds, as the one guy mentioned. So the next time you get some "track time" at Daytona, you can check out how effective that is :D
The simple fact is most factory rear spoilers don't do much of anything, other than look cool. Look at the spoilers on race cars and you'll see they are considerably higher than anything on the street. The big exception to this, and I do mean BIG, is the Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Charger Daytona. They had HUGE spoilers that were VERY tall.
Dep
The simple fact is most factory rear spoilers don't do much of anything, other than look cool. Look at the spoilers on race cars and you'll see they are considerably higher than anything on the street. The big exception to this, and I do mean BIG, is the Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Charger Daytona. They had HUGE spoilers that were VERY tall.
Dep
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,721
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From: Canada
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (Dep)
The father of an old college friend of mine from Vancouver had a Superbird, what a phenomnal beast. He drove it daily and raced on the weekends. I was surprised when I first got in it that it was an auto. but was told they only came with an auto box. I remember looking at that rear wing from the front passenger seat (the father never let anyone but him drive it) and that thing was monsterous, don't even want to get into trying to find the front of the car while parallel parking on a busy city street. It was the passenger's job to help guide that 747 in. :rofl:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,938
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From: San Diego CA
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (gdh)
Yep sure as hell do. My 77 front spoiler assisted at 130 MPH to give me air lift so at 132 my front wheels were barely on the ground.
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 5
From: Nashville TN
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (Cali,68,L-79)
Yep sure as hell do. My 77 front spoiler assisted at 130 MPH to give me air lift so at 132 my front wheels were barely on the ground.
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
Any benefit at subsonic speeds ? 80-95 mph, you know normal Detroit freeway speeds. :thumbs:
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Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Auburn WA
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (dman535)
Do they do anything? SURE! the rear spolier looks cool and gets tiny tree seeds trapped in the seams which drive you FREEKING NUTS....ahem...sorry..and the front spoiles whack off of curbs, rocks, tiny people and roadkill ( the latter two could be the same thing). :yesnod:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Coming home from Luckenbach Texas
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (dman535)
Actually yes, but not like you think. At "normal" highway speeds, the front spoiler help deflect a greater quantity of air into the radiator, assisting in engine cooling. :smash:
Team Owner
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From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
CI-VIII Burnout Champ
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (page62)
The front spoiler helps A LOT in cooling at interstate speeds. The rear spoiler is just an ornament until you get to about 120. After that, it's the only thing, besides luck, that keeps the back end of the car down on the pavement.
Yes, they do help and they look pretty :cool: too.
Yes, they do help and they look pretty :cool: too.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
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Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (Imothph)
Do they do anything? SURE! the rear spolier looks cool and gets tiny tree seeds trapped in the seams which drive you FREEKING NUTS { :iagree: } ....ahem...sorry..and the front spoiles whack off of curbs, rocks, tiny people and roadkill ( the latter two could be the same thing). { :rofl: } :yesnod:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Silver City NM
St. Jude Donor '05-'07
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (Imothph)
Do they do anything? SURE! the rear spolier looks cool and gets tiny tree seeds trapped in the seams which drive you FREEKING NUTS....ahem...sorry..and the front spoiles whack off of curbs, rocks, tiny people and roadkill ( the latter two could be the same thing). :yesnod:
My 2002 Monte Carlo SS has the flip up rear spoiler and it catches those dang helicopter tree seeds all the time. And parking with that front air spoiler means always having your rear end sticking out or buying plastic pieces all the time.
Dep
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 5,714
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From: Silver City NM
St. Jude Donor '05-'07
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (BSeery)
The front spoiler helps A LOT in cooling at interstate speeds. The rear spoiler is just an ornament until you get to about 120. After that, it's the only thing, besides luck, that keeps the back end of the car down on the pavement.
Yes, they do help and they look pretty :cool: too.
Yes, they do help and they look pretty :cool: too.
I hear a siren wailng in the distance! ;)
Dep
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,906
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From: Berlin
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (Dep)
The simple fact is most factory rear spoilers don't do much of anything, other than look cool. Look at the spoilers on race cars and you'll see they are considerably higher than anything on the street. The big exception to this, and I do mean BIG, is the Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Charger Daytona. They had HUGE spoilers that were VERY tall.
Here are some graphs that I posted in a thread here a while ago:
The source is "Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed" by Joseph Katz
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,483
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From: The Only Corvette in Gila Bend, Az.
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (Dep)
And just WHERE are you hitting 120???? :D
I hear a siren wailng in the distance! ;)
Dep
I hear a siren wailng in the distance! ;)
Dep
So going fast out here is easy. :D
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
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Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (VettePower)
2- Keeps the rear down when you hit 125 mph.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,938
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From: San Diego CA
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (Twin_Turbo)
imho all the front spoiler did was lower my collent temp by forcing in air to the radiator. The rear spoiler just looks cool and had zero functionality. But if it's what you want go for it. just remember to get personal with your painter as you'll be there often.
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
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From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Re: Do the pace car spoilers do anything ? (dman535)
Added the Indy front spoiler so early that the paint matches.
Indy ft. spoiler scoops up air for cooling & sweeps the airflow around the front tires & cleans up airflow underneath. Rec.!
Indy ft. spoiler scoops up air for cooling & sweeps the airflow around the front tires & cleans up airflow underneath. Rec.!